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Pachacaca
The Pachacaca are three a group of three races of lizardmen- The Ulmec, Izmec and Taltec-Zo. Racial Origins The Pachacaca are lizard-men who dwell in the eastern swamps of Belestar. They evolved from a small group of lizardmen imported from the far south by the Argani mage, Palorme. The lizardmen were kept as slaves by the Elf. When Palorme was forced to leave the island, the lizardmen bred and their population grew, until eventually they were forced to leave their small island and find new lands. Political Structure The Pachacaca are led by Pachunama, who they believe to be the returned Palorme. She is their undisputed leader and in their opinion a ‘god.’ As such every lizardman would give their lives for Pachunama if asked to. Due to her ‘divine’ nature it is considered blasphemy to look upon her, so the lizardmen need a mediator. That position is filled by Mostrassu, the Lizard-Centaur who is Pachunama’s counsel. All requests or news must be delivered via him. Each city is run by an Izmec Machu. The Machu is a priest-king who rules over his ‘tribe,’ and is responsible for their government and their religion. The Machus meet twice a year in Ixia to take counsel with Montrassu and hear Pachunama'’ orders. This meeting is known as the Chimec-Ru, ''and occurs on the equinoxes. Social Structure The Pachucaca, in truth, consist of three races- the Izmec, the Ultec and the Taltec-Zo. The Izmec are the most intelligent of the lizard-men, and the least numerous. They are always in charge of the tribe, and most have been taught magic by Montrassu. The strongest of the Izmec is always the priest-king of the city; the others usually serve as Nincutu priests. The less gifted are often smiths, or work as military leaders and trainers. The most numerous of the lizardmen are the Ultec, These are the standard lizardmen, and the most numerous. They serve every whim of the Izmecs and Pachanama. Most are hunters and foragers, though in their spare time they serve as builders and general skivvies under the watchful eyes of the Izmec. A few lucky Ultecs manage to chance upon some rare items, and open small shops to sell and trade their wares, though these are usually short-lived businesses run from their own homes. The Taltec-Zo are the strongest of the lizardmen, and also the least intelligent. They generally serve in the same capacity as the Ultec, though their size and bullying nature ensures they’re always in charge. Most serve as the personal guards of the priests, and are the best warriors in the Dominion. The lizardmen are divided into clans, all of which live in their own separate cities. Loyalty to one’s clan is very important, and there are often inter-tribal conflicts. Anybody who betrays the clan is killed. As does anybody who annoys the Izmec or even the Taltec-Zo. The life expectancy of an Ultec is very short indeed. Military Structure The lizardmen have no standing army as such; however, each individual is trained to fight from the moment they are hatched. Although the Ultecs are neither strong are particularly good warriors, they are very numerous, and can overwhelm a more skilled but smaller army. At all times half the population are armed, and out foraging and hunting and looting. The other half, meanwhile, serve the priests. In war, the Izmecs act as leaders, under the overall command of the Machu. The Taltec-Zo often serve as elite units, or as intimidating commanders for the thousands of Ultecs. The lizardmen fight as tribes; if more than one tribe ally together, the most senior Machu will be in charge. When the whole Dominion is on the move, Mostrassu leads them. Currency The Pachucaca do not use coins, nor do they barter much. Any riches that the Ultec come across are usually given to the priests, and they give most of it to Pachanama in tribute. Although a few of the Ultec open erstwhile shops, they are in danger of being killed or sacrificed should the Izmec find them. Appearance The Ultec are the smallest of the lizard-men, rarely reaching much higher than 5’2. They are skinny and weak, and often wear only loincloths or rags. They come in a variety of colours, though green is most predominant. They are hairless, with red eyes. The Izmec are slightly larger, sometimes reaching over 6’. Their skin is usually blue or grey, though other varieties exist. They have two large horns on their heads, and tough spines. They usually dress in elaborate robes, and the priests adorn themselves in brightly-coloured feathers. The Izmec have a genetic defect, dating back to their creation, which results in a high frequency of mutations. In most serious cases, this can lead to extra limbs or even two heads. The Taltec-Zo are large, averaging 7’, and very muscular. Their skin is predominantly green, though their hide is tougher than that of the Ultec. Like the Ultec, they wear very little and are just as poor. The Taltec-Zo have four horns on their heads, and small horns on their nose. Their body is covered in bright red cartilage, which serves as natural armour. Males and females look almost identical, being reptiles. The females are only distinctive once they reach puberty, when they get dramatic markings on their skin, especially around the eyes. Housing Pachacaca cities are large and beautiful, and mimic the Elven architecture still to be found on the island of Ki-Pixab. Most of the buildings are carved from grey jungle rocks. The cities are mainly giant temples. A large ziggurat occupies the centre, where the priests live. The surrounding area contains the Izmec’s houses; large grey elaborate buildings, with arches and curves like their Elvish counterparts. The rest of the city contains the Ultecs’ living quarters; their sole purpose is to serve the priests, and thus they possess little furniture. A typical Ultec house is a strange building consisting of three ‘roofs’. The main part of the building is one large room, with 6 inches of water covering the floor. This room is usually decorated with the Lizard-men's strange pictograph writing and the occasional skin from a human victim. It is here that the lizard-men go when they need to submerse themselves. On the roof is where the lizardmen normally sleep, sheltered from the sun by a large stone canopy. The stone canopy serves as a final floor, and is where the lizardmen bask in the sun. It is also here that the eggs are left, waiting to hatch. Furniture in these buildings is usually rotten and poorly-made. Up to twenty lizardmen, usually related, can occupy one of these buildings, known as a ''Techitlan. The larger buildings, belonging to the Izmec, differ a lot depending on the taste of the individual. Most are exquisitely adorned with riches and tapestries. The Taltec-zo live in buildings similar to the Ultec, though these are larger to accommodate their stature, and do not have water in the main room, as the Taltec-zo do not like to immerse themselves. Usually 4 or 5 Taltec-Zo live in one building. Diet The Pachacaca live off the swamp, and eat anything they can get their hands on. Thousands of hunters leave the towns each day, hoping to bring enough food for the population. Lizardmen do not eat every-day, sometimes going as long as a week without sustenance. The Ultec are rationed, and go to the temple to claim their food from the Izmecs, on a rotary basis once a week. Their diet consists of anything from crocodile and swamp octopus to mosquitoes, lizards and spiders. Man-flesh is their personal favourite, though this is usually reserved for the Taltec-Zo. The Izmec are more discerning, and have their pick of food. Most eat fish or fruit, but always plenty of it. The lizardmen never eat birds, as they are considered sacred. The lizardmen prefer to drink only water, as alcohol affects them very quickly. Worship The Pachacaca worship Pachunama, who they believe is the Ascended one. To them, she is the highest form of enlightenment, and they believe in reincarnation. The lowest class are the lizards, then the lizardmen. After that come the lizard-centaurs, who are halfway between them and the Pachunama: Pachunama is the highest attainable form. For that reason, they defer to their ‘queen’ in everything. The reason for their worship of the Pachunama is due to their history; when Palorme left, thousands of years ago, he was their master and, to them, a god. He promised to return one day. When Hengola arrived at the city, it was on the holy day of Ki-Pacha, the day that Palorme was meant to return. By coincidence, they mistook her for their god, especially as she had pointed ears. Because the lizardmen have no mammalian features, they were not to know that Pachunama was female. Pachunama is their interpretation of the word ‘Palorme.’ The lizardmen also believe in the dreamworld, which exists beyond the perceived world. Pachunama has taken advantage of this, and told them that the dreamworld begins beyond the jungle, and that they shouldn’t venture into it without her authority. She has also told them that all the other men and elves are figments from the Dreamworld, and should be slain and sacrificed to the gods; this is in order to maintain her uniqueness as a divinity. The Lizardmen also have a few gods, beyond Pachunama, though they are worshipped mainly as spirits, and forces of Chaos. The main three are Kulmec, the snake God of the Sun, Metlu the crocodile god, deity of the fog and mists of the swamp, and Ketl the Bird God, who carries the deceased lizardmen to the Blessed Swamp to await reincarnation. For this reason, birds are sacred. Templates ULTEC Special- All get 35% of original DP's to spend, in addition to the above. ' ' IZMEC Special- All get 25% of original DP's to spend, in addition to the above. TALTEC-ZO Special- All get 25% of original DP's to spend, in addition to the above. All Taltec-Zo have a natural Armour Type of 13. Category:Pachacaca Category:Pachacaca Dominion Category:Izmec Category:Ulmec Category:Lizardmen Category:Races Category:Belestar Category:Taltec-Zo